Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

TOUGH, Dave

(b David Jarvis, 26 April '07, Oak Park IL; d 9 Dec. '48, Newark NJ) Drummer, easily the best white drummer of his generation, the only one to be compared to Chick Webb, Sid Catlett, Jimmy Crawford. Parents were Scottish immigrants; left high school to play with Austin High Gang (see Jazz); with Eddie Condon late '20s, went to Europe with clarinettist Danny Polo, then with big bands: Tommy Dorsey '36- -7 (played on some of the biggest hits of the era incl. 'Marie', 'Song Of India'); improved Benny Goodman band when he replaced Gene Krupa, also played with Bunny Berigan, Bud Freeman, and on some of Goodman's excellent sextet sides on Columbia; with Artie Shaw's US Navy band, then with Woody Herman '44--5: with Chubby Jackson made one one of the most exciting rhythm sections in jazz on 'Northwest Passage', etc. A master of the cymbals; though a small man he could drive a band with the brushes; played on the beat yet gave the impression he was laying back, his unique mastery of time prefiguring Elvin Jones; had the ability to give each soloist the most appropriate support, but refused to play drum solos. 'He said that human beings weren't metronomes, and drummers shouldn't be, either' (Jackson, quoted by Whitney Balliett: users of drum machines please note). Wrote an advice column for drummers in Metronome, alternately hilarious (a survey of chewing gum) and of great value. He admired Max Roach, followed bop, thought (certainly wrongly) that its intricacies were beyond him; he played all kinds of jazz equally well (with Charlie Ventura/Bill Harris combo, Condon, Muggsy Spanier, Jackson on Keynote, all '40s), he took too seriously the rivalry between boppers and the old guard, now almost forgotten. An alcoholic who had already been a derelict early '30s, he spent his last few months in a veterans' hospital; died as an outpatient from skull fracture caused by a fall.